"Labour ministry to check provision of seniority payments", 9 December 2019

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training is preparing to send officials to check on whether the second phase of seniority payments will be provided to garment factory workers at the end of the year, said ministry spokesman Heng Sour.

Last year, the ministry announced that from this year onwards, seniority payments will be made to workers in the textile, garment and footwear industries twice a year, with one in June and the other in December…

“However, the ministry will send out officials to follow up on the process at textile and garment factories to ensure that they follow the procedure set by the ministry,” Sour said.

Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia deputy secretary-general Kaing Monika could not be reached for comment ...

Collective Union of Movement of Workers president Pav Sina acknowledged that the first phase of seniority payments had gone as planned. However, he said he was concerned that some factory owners might not follow through on the second phase, particularly at factories without workers unions…

Sina also asked for transparency from officials during the inspection process to ensure the effective distribution of payment.

Tan Sopha, a worker at a garment factory …, said she was looking forward to receiving the second seniority payment of this year and hoped for its timely distribution.

“I wish it would come soon. I am looking forward to it. I am so happy, though it is just a small amount, because it is [money earned] through sweat and toil that can help us in a time of need,” Sopha said.